I just went through the demographics thread completely from start to finish.   It was very interesting……..and thought provoking.some time ago,  I brought a young man of my acquaintance out to Etna Green for a match,  set him up with one of my low wall .22’s and he had a very good time.  Will he remember it…yes.  Does he have an interest in things old and historical? Yes.   Will he come back?    Hmmm…..not likely.   He’s newly married, just bought a house, and though he has a good job, and a professional education and career, he is not ready to invest the kind of money in what it takes to be even reasonably competitive.   
Soooo……tell me how we can get some new blood interested.  My son likes to shoot, but he’s not interested in single shots. 
.
Can we generate enough interest In SS shooting to justify 
The manufacture of a SS rifle that would be competitive AND affordable for a young and/ or beginning shooter ? (

Should we have some .22 single shotrifles available for “guest shooters” st our matches ?  I can see some possible issues here… perhaps some members could give input here.)

I think this would go along way to building our ranks ( and giving the public a better image of “shooters”.    Would we be willing to pass on some of our equipment at an affordable price to seriously interested younger competitors ? 
This is a long post, maybe it won’t make the “cut” and be read , I don’t know.   But I do know I’m getting older and don’t want my guns to go to just anyone who might make my Darr into a ..53 cal. Whizbang because he doesn’t know how to make it work.
And I have enjoyed the company I have kept shooting SS rifles and would like to see this kind of kinship spread.
Mikeyfirelock

The main - indeed, the only problem - I have with mikeyfirelock's analysis is that he seems to think that the only people interested in single shots who are worthy of ASSRA membership are those who are also shooters.  I'm primarily a collector/historian and a restorer.  I like to shoot, but haven't had a place to do so for decades in the rabidly liberal area where I live.  (Plus, truth to tell, my deafness has in the past made me unwelcome at most public ranges.)  In any case, I still think that I have a place - as a long-time life member yet - in this very fine (if apparently dying) organization.

Bill Lawrence

Based on my experience having loaner rifles and equipment is helpful. The target age to recruit new shooters is 50+. Most younger men with a wife, children, career, etc....cannot dedicate the time or money it takes to be actively involved in any shooting discipline. 
Scott

Prime age group to target is 10 -18, then 45 to 55,then 35-45 , last 19-35. I put the youngest  people first because that's the age  when life-long idea's are formed. Maybe we need to have some junior matches where they could compete with their own age group. We have a couple of loaner rifles at Etna Green,one. 22,and one centerfire.. We certainly could use more. Keep this in mind if you have something you would be willing to donate. If they need work, I will be more than happy to work on them to put them in shooting condition. 
Lee Gibbs Pres.ASSRA

Frankly, the way young folks are entertained these days, taking them to a brenchrest match would be the surest way to kill their interest. Boring! They would be much more likely to get interested in shooting sports if it involved some bang and clang. Think of the old shooting galleries that used to be at state fairs. Bang, down goes the duck! One more and I get a doll for my girl (or one more and I show up my boyfriend.) Women are quite competitive these days. Shotgun sports like skeet, trap and sporting clays are attractive to the young. They shoot and results are immediate. Silhouette matches also, especially cowboy silhouette, where a great investment in equipment, ammunition, and experience is not required to have fun. Fun builds interest and interest leads to interest.

marlinguy wrote on Dec 21^st, 2021 at 11:52pm:



oneatatime wrote on Dec 22^nd, 2021 at 12:26am:



The two quotes above say it all.

Lighten up on the emphasis of competition.  At some level of experience it comes to that, but not at the beginning stage.

Most people don't have reasonable access to competition venues.

A new shooter will find more fun in shooting tin cans than trying to navigate all the hurdles to being competitive in the schuetzen game.

I am a rabid collector, shooter, and sometimes hunter.  I never have witnessed nor competed in a schuetzen match.  I have a nice collection of vintage single shot rifles.  I will be 68 in January.

The cost of shooting is pretty much of a red herring.  The same people who make this claim are often members of country clubs and play golf, or go to ski resorts for long skiing weekends, or watch TV on their wall size flat screen TV.  It’s a matter of one’s spending priorities.

The stories of bringing new folk to shoots and “getting them started” are endless.  The fact of the matter is, we are a small niche sport, and with a few exceptions (such as the Coors) always have been.  The fast draw and run and gun folks who like to dress up and indulge their inner Walter Mitty are much more attractive to the average (especially young) shooters than the discipline demanded by our sport.  Schuetzen tends in most cases to be a pastime we grow into, not one we start in. 

No answer, but that’s my explanation for what it’s worth and based on about 30 years of observation.  Maybe we should start recruiting guys from the Social Security rolls.

Froggie

I have to agree that for many younger gun owners money is not a factor to them not owning or shooting single shots. When I look at various gun forums and see guys in their 30's and 40's spending thousands of dollars on other kinds of rifles and pistols, it tells me they have the money, they just don't have the interest yet. 
So the question becomes how do they get interested? I think if they are exposed to single shots in a venue that's fun for them, they're likely to get involved. But if that means abandoning their friends who are still into their other rifle interests, it might be a tough challenge to pull off.